The present invention relates to computer database searches or inquiries, and more precisely, database inquiries carried out with a user device of a wireless communications network.
In a typical database search, a user queries the database by selecting a set of criteria (a request) and submitting those criteria to a database engine. Many different methods have been utilized to facilitate the user's creation of database requests. In some user interfaces, a user answers a series of questions, fills out an on-line form, or selects from a finite number of choices. Once such a search request is submitted, the database engine returns the search results meeting the criteria, if any, and the user interface displays the results. A method that is very often used to display the data returned from the database query, is the hierarchical map or tree structure, which enables the user to navigate from the route of the tree through one or more sub-categories (branches) in order to find the desired information. Typical example of the categorized tree structure are yellow pages offered as electronic database services. This type of directory contains information about businesses categorized by headings. The categories are defined by type of product or service sold by the various businesses. Finally, under the business name some basic information, such as an address and a phone number, are displayed.
Most of these services are offered in the Internet and they are best suited for fixed workstations which are connected to a wired telecommunications network, use sufficiently high-speed transmission connections and have enough processing capacity and a large graphic display. However, when the user is using a wireless portable communication device, such as a mobile phone or a communicator, problems are encountered. One of the problems is the typically low transmission rate (for example 9,6 kbit/s) of the radio channel over the air interface. This problem is nowadays alleviated by high-speed data services offered by the modern digital mobile networks. The more serious problem is the user device itself. The typical requirements of a wireless end-device, such as a mobile phone, include a very small size, light weight, low power consumption and low price. These requirements result in the use of less effective microprocessors, less memory capacity, smaller display and lower display resolution, and a limited keyboard in comparison with the standard personal computers. Therefore, dedicated data communication and inquiry techniques have been developed for the wireless environment.
WO 98/11744 discloses the implementation of a data inquiry service in a digital mobile communications network using a short message service. Typically, the inquiries are made to servers in the Internet. For this purpose, a short message center (SC) is connected to the Internet and employs the HTML (HyperText Markup Language), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) and TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) protocols towards the Internet. Short messages are sent in a conventional manner between the short message center and the mobile station. The user sends a short message including an identifier indicating the desired web page to the short message center. The short message center establishes a connection to a desired WWW (World Wide Web) server through the Internet, receives the web page from the Internet and stores said page. The relevant part is distinguished from the web page and is sent to the mobile station in a short message. This relevant part of the web page can be identified using a predetermined criterion, which is common to all subscribers, or it may be based on a criterion received from the mobile station, such as a keyword. The mobile station processes the received short message in a conventional manner and displays it to the user. This approach provides the advantage that the mobile station only needs to support the short message service in order to utilize inquiry services, or Internet services. Such an inquiry service based on the short message service is commonly referred to as smart messaging. Different operators and service providers have applied smart messaging. For example, when a short message is sent to a number 400 in the Sonera GSM mobile communications network, and the short message contains a predetermined search word, then a reply including information associated with the search word is obtained. The smart messaging services typically also comprise a menu structure, in which a desired topic can be selected from a predetermined menu or a corresponding web site can be searched for using search words. The menus can each be packed into a single short message, and the list of headlines can be divided into blocks.
Also browsing web pages by means of mobile stations is difficult, particularly owing to the limitations of the mobile stations display. On this account, a specific technology has been developed for mobile stations, referred to as a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), in which WML pages (Wireless Mark-up Language) are transferred to the mobile stations. The properties of the WML pages are better suited to the small displays in mobile stations and to the transmission capacity of the mobile network. The Internet may comprise web pages directly presented in the WAPNVML format, or conventional WWW/HTML pages can be converted into the WAPNVML format in a particular gateway unit (WAP gateway). The gateway apparatus is typically located at the interface between the mobile communications network and the Internet. The user sends a request concerning a particular web page to the WAP gateway using a micro browser in the mobile station, and the WAP gateway retrieves the web page from the Internet and converts it to a WML page, which is thereafter loaded to the micro browser. The micro browser shows the WML page on the mobile station display. Also in WAP applications hierarchical tree structures or selection menus are employed for allowing the user to navigate to the desired information.